West Ham United's return to the Championship for the first time in over a decade ended in frustration as Burnley substitute-turned-hero Zian Flemming struck twice in the final ten minutes to salvage a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor.
David Moyes, the man who guided West Ham to European glory three years ago, watched from the stands as a reminder of how far the club has fallen since relegation from the Premier League. His successor, Nuno Espirito Santo, appeared to have his side on course for a perfect opening-day victory before the game slipped away in dramatic fashion.
West Ham took control early when Maximilian Kilman rose above a static Aaron Ramsey to head home Jarrod Bowen's corner, finally opening his account for the club two years after his £40m move from Wolves. The visitors doubled their advantage when Mohamadou Kante surged past Marcus Edwards down the flank and squared for Manor Solomon, who finished confidently from close range.
Burnley, under new head coach Nicky Hayen, had created chances of their own but were let down by wastefulness in front of goal. Flemming was the chief culprit, missing with headers that struck the crossbar and were cleared off the line by Ollie Scarles, before finally finding his range.
The turning point came in the 82nd minute when Scarles, on as a substitute, brought down Edwards in the area. Flemming converted the resulting penalty to halve the deficit, and just one minute later he headed in again to level matters, sparking wild celebrations among the home support.
West Ham nearly held on despite the fightback, but Burnley completed the comeback deep into stoppage time. A corner was only half-cleared by the visitors, and after a scramble in the box, Flemming lashed home his second of the afternoon and Burnley's second equaliser to complete his brace.
Hayen, celebrating his 46th birthday, admitted the result carried the feel of a victory despite yielding only a point.